Vitamin A and Palm trees…. really?

I have previously discussed the importance of Vitamin A in our pet birds diets. And, as you may or may not know, have experienced deficiency first hand in some of the birds that have come to me. There is a great deal to be learned from these birds and the balance between proper nutrition and health. It is something that can be applied, in my mind, to we humans on a larger scale. Think about it…. if a parrot does not have enough Vitamin A in their diet their skin becomes dry and flaky, the mucus in their sinus’ dries up and gets hard…. what happens to us as human beings if we do not have (or close to) a proper balance of nutrients, vitamins and minerals? If you have not read some of the older posts on this blog you may want to go back and read about some of these birds. Magee has probably been one of the most dramatic and successful cases to date. Some of the others are still a work in progress.

One of the benefits of living in a warmer climate are palm trees. Now, I must admit before moving to sunny Arizona I had no idea there were actually varieties of palm trees. There are date palms, canary island (sometimes called pineapple palms), mexican palms, etc….. The one that is of interest to myself and y birds is the canary island variety. These palm trees have a thicker trunk and produce reddish orange fruits- once a year. The wild birds also seem to enjoy them too. There is not a lot of flesh on the fruits, but that doesn’t deter my gang. They have a grand time with them. The best part is they are getting Vitamin A as they chew and consume the meat of the fruits. I also harvest palm fronds (branches) and make things or just cut them up and let the birds have at them. It is a great deal of fun for them (and me to watch), as well as a mess to clean up. But that doesn’t matter. I try to create environments or provide things that would be in a natural habitat for the birds. Below are some of the branches that hold the fruits and some fronds waiting to be shredded and eaten, not necessarily in that order. 🙂

Palm fruits n fronds_9.26.11

It is so rewarding to see the birds really enjoying the fruits and greens. Here is a great shot of Zabby climbing all over the fruit branches.